Open File 014E/0229

An Untested Rare-Earth Element Target in Northern Labrador

S.D. Amor

St. John’s, Newfoundland, August, 2011

Abstract

A regional lake-sediment rare-earth element (REE) anomaly occurs within the Umiakovik Lake batholith in northern Labrador. This anomaly contains within its bounds two distinctive ring-shaped features, one 14 km in diameter and the other 2.25 km in diameter. The ring-shapedfeatures are defined by total-field magnetics data gathered by exploration companies in 1995 and 1996, during a search for Voisey’s Bay-typemagmatic sulphide deposits. A similar ring-shaped magnetic pattern is present at Quest Rare Minerals’ Misery Lake prospect in Québec, and concentric compositional zoning is also present at the Lovozero and Khibina peralkaline complexes in Russia. Three localized anomalies offluoride in lake water (the North River, Kingurutik River North and Kingurutik River South (fluoride) anomalies) are located within the bounds of the lake-sediment REE anomaly, and may represent glacial dispersion from loci of rare-earth concentration.

Detailed magnetic data are not available for the westerly Kingurutik River North and Kingurutik River South (fluoride) anomalies, respectively23 km southeast and 28 km south-southeast from the centre of the North River Anomaly, although regional magnetic data indicate two localmaxima within the bounds of the Kingurutik River South (fluoride) anomaly.

The circular Sikkoyavik Brook magnetic feature, centred on 57.31°N, 62.88°W, south of Umiakovik Lake is much smaller (diameter 2.25 km) and isalso defined by detailed exploration company aeromagnetic data. This feature falls within the bounds of the larger REE lake-sediment anomaly butis not associated with anomalous fluoride in lake water.

The identification of these targets resulted from examination of publicly available geochemical data and a limited number of assessment files,which predate the current interest in REE from the mining industry. It is probable that other targets will be found by similar means, else wherein the province.

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